Chromobacterium violaceum infection in Brazil. A case report

Authors

  • Roberto MARTINEZ Universidade de São Paulo; Faculdade de Medicina; Departamento de Clínica Médica; Divisão de Doenças Infecciosas e Tropicais
  • Maria Angeles Sanches L. VELLUDO Universidade de São Paulo; Faculdade de Medicina; Departamento de Patologia
  • Vanda Roseli dos SANTOS Universidade de São Paulo; Faculdade de Medicina; Hospital das Clínicas; Laboratório de Microbiologia
  • Paula Vanessa DINAMARCO Universidade de São Paulo; Faculdade de Medicina; Departamento de Patologia

Keywords:

Chromobacterium violac, Liver absc, Septice

Abstract

We report the second case of infection with Chromobacterium violaceum that occurred in Brazil. A farm worker living in the State of São Paulo presented fever and severe abdominal pain for four days. At hospitalization the patient was in a toxemic state and had a distended and painful abdomen. Chest X-ray and abdominal ultrasound revealed bilateral pneumonia and hypoechoic areas in the liver. The patient developed failure of multiple organs and died a few hours later. Blood culture led to isolation of C. violaceum resistant to ampicillin and cephalosporins and sensitive to chloramphenicol, tetracyclin, aminoglicosydes, and ciprofloxacin. Autopsy revealed pulmonary microabscesses and multiple abscesses in the liver. The major features of this case are generally observed in infections by C. violaceum: rapid clinical course, multiple visceral abscesses, and high mortality. Because of the antimicrobial resistance profile of this Gram-negative bacillus, for appropriate empirical antibiotic therapy it is important to consider chromobacteriosis in the differential diagnosis of severe community infections in Brazil.

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Published

2000-04-01

Issue

Section

Case Report

How to Cite

MARTINEZ, R., VELLUDO, M. A. S. L., SANTOS, V. R. dos, & DINAMARCO, P. V. (2000). Chromobacterium violaceum infection in Brazil. A case report . Revista Do Instituto De Medicina Tropical De São Paulo, 42(2), 111-113. https://revistas.usp.br/rimtsp/article/view/30417